Gun-loading mechanism



Aug. 12, 1947. B. JORGENSEN GUN-LOADING MECHANISM Original FiledJune l8, 1,945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 12,. 1947. B. JORGENSEN I GUN-LOADING MECHANISM Original Filed June 18, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fiwemm' Bernhardt rbrqensen Patented Aug. 12, l47

GUN-LOADING MEGHANISM' Original application June 18, .1943, Serial No.

491,353. Divided and this application December 23, 1944, Serial No. 569,540

18 Claims. 1

This invention relates to ordnance, andmore particularly to gun-loading mechanisms. The invention is illustrated herein as applied to a gun of large caliber particularly adapted for use in an airplane, although it will be understood that in various aspects the invention is not thus limited in its applicability. This application is a division of an application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 491,353, filed June 18, 1943, in my name.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved means for transferring a shell from a fixed position relatively to a gun into alinement with the gun in any position of the gun in azimuth and in elevation. To this end and in accordance with a feature of the invention, the shells are transferred from a magazine by a vertically movable transfer tray which is so mounted that it is automatically moved to carry the shell into alinement with the gun at the completion of its vertical movement by engagement of the tray with a member carried by and extending rearwardly of the gun.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the member by which the tray is thus moved is in the form of a housing supporting a rammer, the housing having depending outwardly flared walls engageable with rolls carried by the tray automatically to orient the tray relatively to the gun.

As a further feature, the'rammer herein shown as an endless chain is arranged to overlie the shell when in ramming position, the chain being provided with a lug arranged to engage the back end of the shell, the chain being operated automatically in response to movement of a shell into ramming position below the chain.

Another feature of the invention relates to members carried by the rammer-supporting housing which supports the empty shell case as it is ejected from the gun after firin so that the shell case is properly guided without interference with the loading tray or other mechanism.

These and other features of the invention, including variou novel combinations of parts and details of construction will now be more particularly described by reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of one form of apparatus in which the invention is embodied;

Fig. 2 is a planview'partly insection of'the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating progressive positions of the loading tray relative to the breech end of the gun as a shell is carried from the fuse-setting position into the ramming position;

Fig 4 is a perspective view of the breech end of the gun showing a portion of the mechanism by which the rammer is operated;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, part-1y in section, of the supporting means for the rear end of the loading tray; and

Fig. 6 is a detail View, partly in section, of the supporting means for the front end ofthe loadingtray.

As shown in Fig. 1 the shells to be loaded into the gun are supported in end to end or tandem relationship by a magazine M, The shells are fed one at a time from the magazine onto a loadingtray T which supports the shells during the fuse-setting operation. The fuses are set by a fuse-setting apparatus F after which the fuse setter ismoved forward relatively to the shell S whereupon the loading tray is moved upwardly to carry the shell into alinement with a gun G, only the breech end of which is illus trated herein. When the shell reaches this position it is rammed into the-gun by a rammer R and the fuse setter and the loading tray returned to-the' positions illustrated, ready to receive another shell from the magazine. The construction andoperationof the fuse setter forms the subject matter of the parent applicationreferred to "above and'is not described in detail herein.

The magazine M comprises a casing having a top wall IE3, and side-walls l2 (Figs. 1 and 2) between which walls a plurality of shells are supporteclin tandem by an endless conveyor'chain Hi. The casing is carried by legs Hi and I8 extending upwardly from a support 26-.

The conveyor chain M, the upper run of which forms a lower wall of the magazine; is carried by a sprocket 22' journaled on a shaft 26'' extending between the legs l6 and a second sprocket (not shown) located directly behind a sprocket 26 and-"carried by'a shaft 28 journaled between the sidewalls 12 at the forward end of'themagazine.- The shaft zdfl-carrying the sprocket 22, also forms the means by which the casing-l0, I2 is'-'supr 'orted bythe legs' IS. The conveyor chain carries lugs 3B which extend outwardly at spaced intervals and are arranged to engage the rear ends-of the shells to carry them forwardly during movement of the conveyor chain. I

The conveyor chain is moved at intervals through a distance which is just sufficient 'to move a shell S onto the loading tray T into the position shown in Fig. 1. This movement of the chain is effected by a rack 32 engaging a pinion 34 journaled on a shaft 36 which is in turn supported by and extends outwardl from one of the side walls l2 of the magazine, The pinion 34 is connected by a one-way clutch mechanism 38 (Fig. 2) to a sprocket 40 journaled on the shaft 36 and connected by a sprocket chain 42 to the sprocket 26 fixed to the shaft 28 (Fi 1). Upon movement of the rack rearwardly, or to the right as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, it drives the conveyor chain through the clutch mechanism 38 and the sprocket chain 42 to carry the shells forwardly.

The one-way clutch mechanism permits forward movement of the rack without imparting movement to the chain. The rear end of the rack 32 is formed as a piston rod 44 to the rearward end of which is secured a piston 46 slidable in a cylinder 48. The piston is normally held in the position shown in Fig, 2 by a spring 50 and is arranged to be moved rearwardly by the introduction of fluid under pressure into the cylinder forwardly of the piston upon opening a valve 52. This valve is arranged to be opened by a solenoid 54 which is energized automatically when the loading tray is in its shell-receiving position and other parts of the apparatus are in their proper positions as described fully in the aforementioned application.

The loading tray T (Fig. 3) comprises a pair of walls 56 arranged in the form of a V between which a shell may be supported. To the under side of the walls 56 are pivotally connected by pins 51 (Fig. 1), a pair of depending brackets 58 which are in turn connected by links 60 and pins 6| to a cross arm 62 of a U-shaped frame having vertical upwardly extending arms 64. These arms are connected at their upper and lower ends to the forward ends of parallel links 66 and 68 respectively, the rearward ends of which are pivoted at 10 and 12 to the spaced arms of a U-shaped supporting frame M secured to the support 20. The pins 6| by which the links 69 are connected to the cross arm 62 extend upwardly and are connected by tension springs 16 connected by a screw T! (Fig. to the rearward portion of the loading tray T. This spring normally maintains the loading tray in a central position in which it is in alinement with the shells in the magazine M whereas the connection of the tray to the cross arm 62 by the links 6!] permits swinging movement of the tray in a horizontal plane so that it may be oriented with respect to the gun as the shells are moved into ramming position as will be explained. It will be noted that the links 60 diverge rearwardly from their connections with the tray so that they do not provide a parallel motion for the tray. Instead, as the tray is swung on the arms in accordance with the position of the gun in azimuth, the links by reason of their nonparallel relationship, cause the tray also to turn as it is swung laterally, and the arrangement of the links is such that when the forward portion of the tray is moved into a position adjacent to the breech end or the gun the tray will be in axial alinement with the un regardless of deviations in the position of the gun within limits from the position illustrated. The springs also support the rearward end of the tray but permit rocking movement thereof in a vertical plane about the pivotal connections to the brackets 58 so that the loading tray may assume the same position in elevation as the gun when the shells are moved into ramming position. The brackets 58 have forwardly extending abutments 19 between which and bosses 81 on the tray are positioned compression springs 83 (Fig. 6) These springs cooperate with the springs 76 normally to maintain the tray in a horiozntal position but permit depression of the forward end of the tray to aline the shell with the gun if the gun is pointed slightly downward.

The links 66 have rearwardly and downwardly extending arms 18 which have pin-and-slot connections 88 with pistons 82 movable in cylinders 84. Upon introduction of pressure fluid into the cylinders rearwardly of the pistons, the pistons are moved forwardly and by reason of their connections to the arms 18 of the links 65 cause the loading tray T with the shell carried thereby to be elevated. The cylinders 84 are connected by pipes 86 and a pipe 38 to a valve 90 by which the flow of pressure fluid into the cylinders is controlled. This valve is operated by a solenoid 92 (Fig. 1) which, when energized, opens the valve and permits flow of pressure fluid into the cylinders and upon de-energization the valve closes under the influence of a spring to disconnect the cylinders from the source of pressure fluid. Pressure fluid within the cylinders is exhausted through a pipe 93 upon closure of the valve Bil and the loading tray returns by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 1.

In order that the loading tray will be properly oriented with respect to the gun as the tray carries a shell S into ramming position a pair of spaced rolls 34 is carried by each of the walls 53 of the loading tray. These rolls are journaled in brackets 36 secured to the upper outer surfaces of the walls at each end of the tray. The rolls are arranged to engage walls of a rammer housing 98 extending rearwardly from the breech end of the gun and secured thereto by a bracket mi). The housing, as shown in Fig. 3, comprises spaced Walls I82 the upper portions of which are parallel and the lower portions of which are divergent. The divergent portions of the walls carry plates I04 extending along substantially the entire length of the housing and having hinged portions I05 extending through apertures in the walls and pivoted to the outer surfaces thereof. Arms I08, rigidly connected to the plates Hi4, cooperate with the outer surfaces of the walls to prevent downward movement of the plates beyond the horizontal positions illustrated. As the loading tray carrying the shell is moved upwardly the plates I34 are moved upwardly into engagement with the inner surfaces of the walls M32 as shown in Fig. 3 and the rolls 94 on the loading tray engage these plates. By reason of the mounting of the loading tray for movement in both horizontal and vertical planes it will be swung by the engagement of the rolls with the plates Hi l as the tray is moved upwardly so that the shell carried therewith is in alinemet with the gun barrel regardless of the position of the gun. After the shell has been rammed in a manner to be explained and the tray is returned to its lower position, the plates assume the horizontal positions shown at the left in Fig. 3 and serve to support and guide the shell case as it is ejected from the gun after the gun is fired.

The rammer R by which the shell is rammed into the gun after the shell is in the proper position, comprises a sprocket chain Hi3 (Figs. 1 and 2) carried by sprockets I I2 and l M. The sprocket H2 is journaled in a bracket H5 supported on the breechblock (not shown) for vertical movement therewith and the sprocket l M is carried by a shaft H8 supported between the upper rearward portions of the walls I02 of the housing 98. The chain I I carries lugs I I6 arranged to engage the rear end of the shell and force it into the breech of the gun as the chain is driven. For driving the chain the shaft II8, carrying the sprocket H4, has mounted on its outer end a sprocket I25 connected by a drive chain I22 to a sprocket I24 (Figs. 2 and 4) mounted on a shaft I I25 journaled in a bracket I28 secured to the breech end of the gun and in the adjacent wall of the breech. The shaft I26 carries a pinion I36 connected thereto by a suitable one-way clutch mechanism [SI and this pinion is arranged to be rotated by a rack I32 eXtending forwardly and connected at its forward end to a rod I34 (Fig. 2) passing through a cylinder I36 mounted in a bracket I31 coaxial with the horizontal trunnions of the gun. The rod I34 carries a collar I38 which engages one end of a compression spring I49 the forward end of which engages a forward wall of the cylinder I36. This spring urges the rod and the rack I32 rearwardly but these members are normally constrained against such movement by a latch I44 pivoted to the gun and having a portion which engages the rear end of the rack as shown in Fig. 4. Upon pivoting the latch upwardly the rack is free to be moved rearwardly by the spring I46 to drive the rammer chain IIO through sprocket I24, drive chain I22 and sprocket I20. For releasing th latch when it is time to ram a shell a release arm I46 connected at one end to the latch has its other end extending through a hole in one of the walls I92 of the rammer housing as shown in Fig. 3 in position to be engaged by a shell S. When a shell has been moved into ramming position as shown at the right in Fig. 3, the shell engages the arm I46 moving it upwardly a sufiicient distance to release the latch I44 whereupon the rack I32 is actuated by the spring I40 to drive the rammer chain I I6 and to drive the shell intothe breech of the gun. After th shell has been introduced into the gun the breechblock is closed in anyconventionalmanner and the gun is fired. The breechblock moves upwardly, in its closing movement lifting the bracket H which supports the forward end of the rammerchain so that the chain is pivoted about the axis of the rear supporting shaft H8. During the recoil 0f the gun the latch I44 moves rearwardly with it until it is hooked over the end of the rack I32 which is at this time rearward of the position shown in Figs. 2. and 4, the spring being fully expanded. Upon counterrecoil, as the gun returns to battery, the latch moves the rack back to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 at the same time compressing the spring I40 so that the spring is loaded in readiness for the next operation. It will be understood that during the recoil of the gun the pinion I30 (Fig. 4), movable with the gun, moves relatively to the rack and it is therefore rotated in a direction opposite to that inwhich it was rotated during the ramming operation. transmitted during recoil to the sprocket I24 through the one-way clutch'mechanism.

From the above it will be seen that upon admission of pressure fluid into the cylinder 84 the shell is moved upwardly at the conclusion of the fuse-setting operation and after the fuse-setting mechanism F has moved out of engagement with the nose of the shell, into ramming position. The mounting of thetray T permits the shell to be alined with the gun no matter in what direction thegun isaimed, it being understood that the gun is capableof being moved only .in limited amounts inazimutnand inelevation from the position However, no motion is.

illustrated, the proper positioning of-the traybeing effected by engagementof. its rolls 94.with the-walls I02 of the housing .98 by whichthe rammer is supported. As theshell is moved. into ramming position the latch I44 is released by engagement of the shell with theupperendwof the arm I46 whereby the spring I40 causes the chain I II) to operate and carry the shell into the breech of the gun. The plates I04, carried by the Walls I62 of the housing 98,'move into the horizontal positions shown at the left in Fig. 3; afterthe shell is loaded into thegun and the transfer tray is moved downwardly, thus forming a guideway on which the empty shell case rides as it is ejected from the gun.

The rammer isautomatically reset for th next ramming operation in response tothe counterrecoil movement of the gun and the other partsv re returned to their original positions and a new shell indexed into fuse-setting position automatically by mechanism described in full in the parent application to which reference may be made for a complete description thereof, this mechanism forming no part .of the invention claimed. herein.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by. Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a gun, transfer mechanism for carrying a shell into ramming position relatively to the gun, said transfer mechanism comprising a shell-supporting tray, means supporting said tray for movement from a shell-receiving position into ramming position, means mounting said tray on said supporting means for movement relatively thereto into alinement with the barrel of the gun, means for ramming the shell into the a support for said ramming means carried by he gun, means carried by said support cooperating with said tray for positioning the tray when moved to ramming position in accordance with the position of the gun, and means associated with said last-named means for guiding the empty shell case as it is ejected from the gun.

2. In combination, a gun, a vertically movable tray for elevating a shell into position to be rammed into the gun, mechanism for imparting vertical movement to said tray, and means connecting said tray to said mechanism for lateral swinging movement to permit orientation of the tray in accordance with the horizontal position of the gun.

3. In combination, a gun, a vertically movable tray for elevating a shell into position to be rammed into the gun, mechanism for imparting vertical movement to saidtray, means connecting said tray to said mechanism for lateral swinging movement to permit orientation of the tray in accordance with the horizontal position of the gun, and means carried by the gun and cooperating- With said tray to aline the tray with the gun in response to movement of the tray into ramming position.

4. In combination, a gun, a vertically movable.

with said mechanism, to enable swinging movement of the tray to carry the shell into alinement with the gun barrel and means carried by the gun cooperating with said tray to swing the tray in accordance with the position of the gun as the tray carries the shell into ramming position.

6. In combination, a gun, a vertically movable tray for elevating a shell into position to be rammed into the gun, mechanism for imparting vertical movement to said tray, and means connecting said tray to said mechanism for vertical and horizontal swinging movements to enable orientation of the tray in accordance with the position in which the gun is aimed.

'7. In combination, a gun, a vertically movable tray for elevating a shell into position to be rammed into the gun, mechanism for imparting vertical movement to said tray, means connecting said tray to said mechanism for vertical and horizontal swinging movements to enable orientation of the tray in accordance with the position in which the gun is aimed, and means carried by the gun and cooperating with the tray for moving the tray to aline the shell carried thereby with the gun barrel as the shell is moved into ramming position.

8. In combination, a gun, mechanism for ramming a shell into the gun, a housing mounted on the breech end of the gun for supporting said rammer mechanism, said housing having diverging walls depending below said rammer mechanism, and means for transferring a shell to a position directly below said rammer mechanism and between said walls, said means being mounted for orientation with the gun by engagement with said walls in accordance with the position of the gun.

9. In combination, a. gun, mechanism for ramming a shell into th gun, a housing mounted on the breech end of the gun for supporting said ramming mechanism, said housing having diverging walls depending below said rammer mechanism, horizontally extending walls pivoted to said diverging walls and substantially closing the bottom of said housing, said last-named walls being movable by a shell against said diverging Walls to permit movement of a shell int ramming position and returnable by gravity into horizontal positions after the shell is loaded to guide the empty shell case as it is ejected from the gun after the firing thereof.

10. In combination, a gun, a rammer, a housing mounted on the breech end of the gun for supporting said rammer, said housing having-divergin walls depending below said rammer, a shell-supporting tray, supporting means for said tray, means for moving said supporting means to transfer a shell into ramming position, and means connecting said tray to said supporting means for orientation with the gun by engagement with said walls.

11. In combination, a gun, a rammer, a housing mounted on the breech end of the gun for supporting said rammer, said housing having diverging walls depending below said rammer, a shellsupporting tray, supporting means for said tray, means for moving said supporting means to transfer a shell into ramming position, means mounting said tray for horizontal adjustment on said supporting means, and rolls carried by the tray for engagement with said diverging walls whereby said shell-supporting tray is positioned in accordance with the direction in which the gun is aimed.

12. In combination, a gun, a rammer, a housing mounted on the breech end of the gun for supporting said rammer, said housing having diverging walls depending below said rammer, a, shellsupporting tray, supporting means for said tray, means for moving said supportin means to transfer a shell into ramming position, means mounting said tray for vertical movement on said supporting means, and rolls carried by said tray for engagement with said diverging walls whereby said supporting tray is positioned in accordance with the elevation of the gun as the shell is moved into ramming position.

13. In combination, a gun, a rammer, a housing mounted on the breech end of the gun for supporting said rammer, said housing having diverging walls depending below said rammer, a shellsupporting tray,supporting means for said tray, means for moving said supporting means to transfer a shell into ramming position, means mounting said tray for vertical and horizontal moVements on said supporting means, and rolls carried by said tray engageable with said diverging walls in response to movement of the tray to carry the shell into ramming position whereby the shell is positioned in accordance with the azimuth and elevation of the gun.

14. In combination, a gun, rammer mechanism mounted on the breech end.of said gun, said rammer mechanism comprising an endless chain ared to overlie a shell when the shell is in ramming position, said chain being provided with 2. lug arranged to engage the back end of a shell, means for moving a shell into ramming position below said chain, spring-operated mechanism for driving said chain, said mechanism including a spring arranged to be placed under compression by the gun during counterrecoil, a latch for holding said spring under compression, and means operated by the shell as it is moved into ramming position for operating said latch to release said spring,

15. In combination, a gun, rammer mechanism mounted on the breech end of said gun, said rammer mechanism comprising an endless chain arranged to overlie a shell when the shell is in ramming position, said chain being provided with a lug arranged to engage the back end of a shell, spring-operated mechanism for driving said chain, said mechanism including a spring arranged to be placed under compression by the gun during counterrecoil, a latch for holding said spring under compression, means for moving a shell into ramming position below said chain, and means operative in response to said movement of the shell for operating said latch to release said spring.

16. In combination, a gun, a rammer, a housing mounted on the breech end of the gun for supporting said rammer, said housing having diverging walls depending below said rammer, means for transferring a shell to a position'directly below said rammer between said walls, said means being mounted for orientation with the gun by engagement with said walls, and means operated by the shell upon its movement into ramming position for causing operation of said rammer.

1'7. In combination, a gun, a rammer, a housing mounted on the breech end of the gun for supporting said rammer, said housing having diverging walls depending below said rammer, spring-operated mechanism for driving said rammer, said mechanism including a spring arranged to be placed under compression by the gun during counterrecoil, a latch for holding said spring under compression, and a latch-release arm extending through one of said diverging walls and arranged to be operated by a shell when moved into ramming position.

18. In combination, a gun, a rammer, a housing mounted on the breech end of the gun for supporting said rammer, said housing having diverging walls depending below said rammer, spring-operated mechanism for driving said rammer, said mechanism including a spring arranged to be placed under compression by the gun during counterrecoil, a latch for holding said spring under compression, a latch-release arm extending through one of said diverging walls and arranged to be operated by a, shell when moved into ramming position, and means for transferring a shell to a position directly below said rammer between said walls, said means being mounted for orientation with the gun by engagement with said walls.

BERNHARDT J ORGENSEN REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,090,093 Bartholdy Mar. 10, 1914 10 2,112,853 Lucht et a1 Apr. 5, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 9,548 Great Britain 1896 11,461 Great Britain 1896 28,534 Great Britain 19 8 

